Jason Behenna talks Friday, April 20, 2018, about the brew pub he hopes to open in the former Parkside Seafood House - Oyster Bar at 1902 Scott Street in Lafayette. Pending approval by the city, Behenna plans to open Escape Velocity Brewing Company at the site. In addition to craft beer, Escape Velocity Brewing Company will feature a vegetarian and vegan menu.(Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier)Buy Photo

LAFAYETTE, Ind.— Residents of the Columbian Park neighborhood soon may not need to walk far for a pint of craft beer if plans are approved by the Lafayette City Council on May 7.

Jason Behenna, owner of Escape Velocity Brewing, said he and his wife and fellow owner, Heather Howard, had been looking to open their own brewery operation for the last 10 years, but the wheels hadn't started turning until two years ago.

With two business models in mind, Behenna said they were originally interested in the old Osco store on the corner of Main and Kossuth streets, but the owner of the property, Hook-Superx Inc, a subsidiary of CVS Health Corporation, had no interest in selling and would not budge on its price.

The duo also looked into property within the former Kmart strip mall, he said, but the deal fell through for various reasons.

Shortly after, the former Parkside Seafood House, located at 1902 Scott Street, came about, and if they could get the property rezoned, the property would be perfect, he said.

"We are excited about going into the neighborhood around Columbian Park because there is a lack of walkable food and drink options," Behenna said. "But it's also our neighborhood (we live in), so it will allow us to be a bigger part of the community we live in."

Behenna said he and Howard are not the official owners of the property quite yet, as it is under contract with a closing contingent on successfully rezoning the property.

On Wednesday, the Area Plan Commission voted in favor of rezoning the property for the brew pub, moving the couple one step closer in the their plans.

Pending approval by the city council, Behenna said he plans to tear down the house and garage attached to the property in order to extend the building to make room for the brewery portion of the eatery.

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The lot directly behind the former Parkside Seafood House - Oyster Bar Friday, April 20, 2018, at 1902 Scott Street in Lafayette. Jason Behenna hopes to open Escape Velocity Brewing Company at the site. In addition to craft beer, Escape Velocity Brewing Company will feature a vegetarian and vegan menu. Pending approval by the city, Behenna would use the lot to to build his brewing operation.(Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

While a timeline for the project isn't quite set, he hopes to have the brewery completed and open by early fall. Until then, Behenna said the restaurant portion, featuring a strictly vegetarian and vegan menu, would be open with a local craft beer selection to choose from.

Behenna said he and his wife's vegetarian diet influenced their choice to go down the meatless menu route, but many would be surprised to hear there are many more who follow the same diet in Lafayette.

"Lafayette has a higher per capita of vegetarians than the national average," he said, sourcing SimplyAnalytics.com's MRI consumer surveys. "There are no strictly vegetarian or vegan restaurants here in town, so we are excited for it."

When it comes to his brews, Behenna said he's no chump in the game.

"I have a dry Irish stout that won best in show at the Indiana State Fair in 2016," he said. "That beer will be my flagship until the customers tell me otherwise, because customers are the ones that really decide that."

Behenna said he is also working on a lagering program for the brewery, but those who visit will find something for everyone's tastes in beers.

"We plan to have four or five core beers for year-round as well as some seasonals," he said. "Assuming everything gets approved, we are going to have a seven-barrel system on our hands."

The name of the brewery, Escape Velocity, stems from Behenna's love for all things space travel, which will be reflected in the names of his brews, he said.

Eric Grossman, Tippecanoe County assessor, said speaking from a restaurateur's perspective, with changes coming to the property's physical building, the concept of a brewery in the Columbian Park neighborhood has a real shot at success.

"As long as it's a well managed business, it's going to be an effective tasting room for sure," Grossman said. "I think it would be a cool little craft brewery."

Looking around at the property, many remnants of the former seafood house still remain, with a flat bottom boat atop the garage and wooden beach poles forming a fence.

Behenna said he has no clue what to do with it all, but he is sure people would be interested in the decor.

"I'm probably going to end up having a really weird garage sale one of these days," he said. "If everything gets approved."